Nothing really beats the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking on the stove in the mornings. It’s a wonderful way to welcome the weekend and even a better excuse to stay in your pajamas just a little bit longer. And when it’s a Paula Lambert recipe that involves whipping some of her house made ricotta cheese into the batter – life doesn’t really get sweeter than that.

Dallas Mozzarella Company (owned by Paula Lambert) makes some of the best cheeses hands down. Having won numerous awards from the American Cheese Society, Paula has been serving up fresh made cheese in Dallas for over 24 years — that’s almost a quarter century of cheese making folks. This woman is damn serious when it comes to cheese and the flavors of her products says it all.

I really fell hard for this recipe because of the light airy texture of the pancake, resulting from the whipped egg whites that are gently integrated into the batter. Plus there’s ricotta cheese in the batter, need I say more? I think the base would also serve for a great savory version as well — maybe topped with some creme fraiche, smoked salmon and chives… Do I smell a weekend project coming on? Perhaps. But for now, enjoy this recipe.

Melt the butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and sauté for about one minute, or until fragrant. Add bananas and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring to combine the ingredients. Add the syrup and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until syrup is well heated and thick. Remove from heat and set aside in a warm place.

Ricotta Pancakes

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together onto wax paper or a plate. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with a hand beater until stiff, but not dry.

Beat the egg yolks, milk, and ricotta together in a large bowl until well blended and smooth.

Add the dry ingredients and mix gently with a large spoon.

Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula.

Warm the platter in a low oven. Heat a flat nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease with butter or vegetable oil.

Pour ¼ to ⅓ cup batter per pancake onto the pan when it is hot.

Pour as many additional pancakes as the griddle will comfortably hold.

Cook for about 2 minutes, or until air bubbles form on the surface, and then flip the pancakes over using a large flat spatula.

A 25 year-old free-lance photographer, home-chef and writer from Dallas, Texas, Joy finds inspiration for her photography and recipes through music, art and nature. Her work has been featured on Elle Girl Korea and Gourmet Live. Join her culinary adventures through her kitchen and discover fresh, simple and delicious recipes.